Manali Leh Road Trip in 73 Lovely Pictures!

Manali Leh road trip is the most spectacular road trip in the world! Whether you are doing Manali Leh bike trip or doing a Manali to Leh Ladakh – as it is popularly called – road trip by car, we bet that this will be a journey of your life time! We share our experiences travelling from Manali to Leh by car. We did this in 2010 and it was a journey of our lifetime.

“It’s breathtakingly beautiful” – we tell our friends as soon as we reach Leh after the spectacular journey of 473 Kms on the Manali Leh road. The road clings and wriggle through some of the most stunning terrain in the world crossing five high altitude passes, fords, streams and waterfalls tumbling from mountains!

We start our journey from Manali to Leh on a cold rainy morning with overcast sky. We are ordered (!) by our Driver Sumit Singh on the previous day to be ready at 6 AM to leave Manali. The wisdom of driving in Himalayas is “Leave early and Reach early” as you can not trust the fickle mountain weather as day pass by.

Poorna In front of Johnson hotel. Before the epic journey.

Being our first trip in the Himalayas, ascent upwards unfolded a lot of surprises – the omnipresent apple trees with “red juicy” apples, the streams gently flowing down mountains creating numerous waterfalls, the green carpet of cedar trees in the valley, the clouds which seem to caress the mountain peaks was a “visual” poetry which can be best seen than written.

The road from Manali to Rohtang is an ascent and is surrounded by beautiful valleys. Let the pictures tell the tale.

Please click on the pictures to see them in larger size.

Beas river flanked by Cedar trees, Manali…

Overcast sky as we start from Manali

The start of mesmerising landscape……..

Misty gorges with cedar trees…..

When mist clears, we see these lovely waterfalls….

Another beauty

……and another!

We start climbing to Rohtang Pass

And the landscape gets more gorgeous

Trucks climbing slowly up the hill.

Our car slowly climb towards the snow-capped Rohtang Pass only to wait behind a “Kilometre long” pile up of cars due to a “mudslide”. We have a long journey ahead as the plan was to stay overnight at Sarchu – at 14,000 feet – which is approximately 220 KMs from Rohtang.

Employees from Border Road Organisation clear the “mud slide” and when our car cleared this hurdle, we have lost about 2 hours of precious time. (BTW, the road from Manali to Rohtang has been done up beautifully and gone are the days of such mud slides. It was a pleasure to drive on it last year when we were there for “Hell race”)

The start of mud road….

……and the agony….

An enterprising chaiwala making best use of the opportunity!

We have breakfast at Marhi and continue our journey towards Sarchu. We don’t stop at Rohtang, the place where the day trippers from Manali – majority of them newly weds – gather to play in snow. Some glimpses of Rohtang landscape.

A meadow and the first glimpse of snow

The scenery gets better and better….

The journey beyond Rohtang is suddenly silent. The only noise we could hear is the air rushing against the mountain or the tip – tap of the melting snow. Or the screech of the car tyre on the road. Or sometimes when a “Bullet rider” overtook us with that “Thumping” sound.

The Manali Leh road is either “cemented” or “patch of mud” . Very soon the green valleys and mountains are replaced by shades of brown with snow peaks in the background. Driving along the Bhaga River and listening to its different notes take us into a different world. We could see many water falls in the mountains with water trickling away under the sheets of snow. Valleys capped with snow. Rocky mountains painted green by wild grass and flowers…..

Some wild flowers…..

From now onwards, we are treated to a spectacle of nature – Mountains, greenery, streams, waterfalls…….

We drive along Chandrabhaga river…..

A lovely waterfalls!

….and quiet flows Chandrabhaga....

This was stunning! A huge ice cap on the mountain melts and creates a beautiful, gentle waterfalls!

The sign board says it all!! Fill the tank now!

We cross Thandi and Jispa – last villages on Manali let road – and begin our ascent again towards Baralacha la which is at about 16500 ft. The journey is an absolute delight. We stopover at beautiful and pristine Suraj tal lake.

The winding snow-capped roads , the low hung clouds with sun breaking in between and creating a beautiful rainbow, we could not just take our eyes off the road. We wished we had a 360 degree vision. Barlacha la was white sheet spread out in every direction and made us sway between dream and reality!

The climb to Barlacha La starts

A lovely Deepak tal

The landscape changes to myriad colours! It is a steep climb to Baracha La. Notice the trucks climbing up….

Crossing a fast flowing stream. It always help to leave early as water levels in these streams increase as the day pass due to melting of snow. Waiting for bikers to cross…

From now onwards the landscape is only white and brown. Just mind-blowing!

As seen from the driver seat……

The wow feeling!

Half frozen Suraj tal. Spectacular!

White all around….

Who wouldn’t love to drive on this!!!

Here we come – Barlacha La 15,000 feet. Miles and miles of snow……

We climb down from Barlacha La to be greeted by spectacular landscape…..

Our camp site at Sarchu @ 14,ooo feet!

Sarchu is where we find tents pitched in the pristine valley of the mighty mountains. It is cold and windy out here. But it is an experience we would never forget!

Sarchu @ 14,000 feet is a high altitude destination in itself. The altitude, strange yet beautiful surroundings and mild AMS kept us awake the whole night at Sarchu. Even the sun did not miss out on the beauty of this wonderful place and was up at about 4.30 AM!

We were ready for the second day’s experience by 6 AM. We will take you through this spectacular drive on day two on Manali Leh road through mountains through these pictures.

Mesmerising morning colours as we leave Sarchu

As we leave Sarchu, Tsarap Chu river gives us company. We drive along side the river. We cross the river which has created canyon like structures all along its course.

The road and landscape turn barren and desert like with snow capped peaks at distance. We see the canyon like structures which are nothing but wind weathered sand dunes

Pang is the last habitat of Army establishment – seen next to river – you see till you reach the outskirts of Leh

The road begins to climb again.

We find ourselves in a “wild west” kind of a landscape where we see rocky outcrops, natural arches and tall mountains.

Crossing Tsarap Chu waterway as a convoy.

From Pang it is all along climb till Nakee La. The landscape is so barren it resembles wild west of USA. Natural Sand arch – Nature at its best

Close up shot of Sand Arch

Streams flowing between huge rocky terrain

This stretch is just beautiful – look at the sculpted sand walls

We cross Nakkee la and Lachlung la Passes and notice the terrain changing into desert like as we enter the vast plains surrounded by mountains.

Moreh plains…….extending for miles

We leave Moreh plains behind and head for our final climb towards Taglang la, which is over 17,000 ft. This is a continuous, relentless climb. This is the second highest motorable pass in the world. You can feel the rarefied atmosphere here where the oxygen content is less in atmosphere making you tired very fast.

Breathtaking landscape as the ascent to Taglang La begins

On top of the world!!Taglang La, 17000 feet. Second highest road in the world

As soon as we start our descent towards Leh, we find “Indus” river flowing all along till Leh. The mountains suddenly become more colourful and we find shades of red, amber, violet and brown. It is like driving through a multi coloured tunnel. The Indus brings with it more life and green and we find mustard fields and other crops in the valley.

From Taglang La it is descent to Leh. We are given company by fast flowing Indus river and the mountains turn colourful. We now drive through pink mountains!

Mustard fields in Indus valley

We now get a glimpse of “gompas” on hilltops and the mountain air seems to carry with it soothing “Buddhist chants”. The road towards Leh becomes more desert like and we notice “white chortens (stupas)” at various places on the road. The army camps make an appearance and the road is now “alive” with long convoys of army vehicles which are moving towards Leh. After Upshi, Karu, Thiksey, we enter Leh.

Welcome to Leh!

As we sip tea in a cafe in Leh, we could not help but recall the beautiful moments on the Manali Leh road- the memory of this drive will linger along for years – It’s an experience of a lifetime!

Now that you have seen the spectacular pictures of Manali Leh road, it is time to see the other way round because mountains look different in other direction! Click this

The nearest railway station is Chandigarh. If you are coming by train, then the convenient station will be Chandigarh. Unless, you want to visit Chandigarh, we would recommend you to take the bus as mentioned above.

By Air

The nearest airport is at Kullu which is around 40 KMs from Manali. The flights to Kullu from Delhi are notorious for cancellation/delay due to weather condition in Kullu. Keep this in mind while booking your plane tickets.

Stay Options

There are many options to suit all budgets in Manali. We stayed in Johnson Hotel which is one of the oldest in Manali and regarded as an institution. Huge and excellent rooms with a laid back atmosphere. The continental restaurant in the hotel is one of the best in Manali.

The Manali Leh road trip is not for faint hearted. You really need to rough it out on the treacherous roads. So be prepared mentally and physically!! (Latest update – The roads on this drive has been done and is excellent except for few places)

Remember that you will be driving from a height of 6000 ft in Manali to close to 18000 in Tanglang La. Acclimatisation is the key. Else, AMS – Acute Mountain Sickness – is likely to hit you at these heights. Most of the cases will be mild and result in nausea, headaches, sleeplessness http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000133.htm

The trip on Manali Leh road can be done in two days with stop over at Jispa.

Driving in hills takes more time and speeds are drastically reduced as road condition is not good. Always have buffer time to allow delays due to landslides and flooding of roads. Land slides are particularly common between Manali and Jispa. If you are driving yourself, drive safe. Don’t hurry.

Fill up fuel in Manali and carry supplies in Jerry cans. There is only one petrol bunk in Thandi and if it runs out of stock you will curse yourself. Diesel may be available in “black” at exorbitant cost but getting petrol will be difficult.

Follow the golden rule of hill driving. Start early and reach early!

Carry enough memory cards for your pictures. There is so much to click that you will regret if you haven’t had these chips.

Eat less and don’t overfill yourself while driving in hills. Drink lot of water.

Carry a good medicine kit. Talk to your family doctor and take necessary medicines.

Do not exert and run around in high altitude. Oxygen content in atmosphere is 30 – 40 percent lesser in these areas and will make you tired and sick. Do not stay for more than 10 minutes in passes above 15000 ft

Carry a good Binocular.

Pack your long johns and woollens. If you have a sleeping bag, carry it.

Ensure that you have the complete vehicle accessories and kit. If self driving, practice trouble shooting techniques and become confident. Carry a good map of the area.

Dal/Rajma – Chawal , Maggi and Omelettes are staple food you get in dhabhas on the way. Don’t expect anything more!

If possible try and plan your drive during full moon day period. You will possibly see the brightest moon ever in these rarefied and unpolluted areas at night.

Do not rely too much on your cell phone. It may not work most of the time.

Do not sleep on the journey. You will regret having missed on some of the outstanding scenery in the world.

Lastly, if you get stuck up anywhere and find an army camp close by, go in and take their help. These great guys will never say NO. Poorna can vouch for it having served in Indian Army!!

We would recommend that spending one day in Manali will help in seeing some nice places around and also prepares you for the long journey. The transport for the drive can be hired in Manali. The transport charges are generally expensive and it will be good to have at least four people travel in the taxi to reduce the cost burden.

You need to take a permit for driving to Leh from Manali. Here are the latest updates for 2019

You can’t drive from Manali to Leh without a confirmed hotel booking

Online Permit System for Beyond Rohtang is not yet operational

Permits have to obtained manually during office hours (on office working days) at Manali only

We have no idea what will be the new rules when the Online Permit system resumes (if at all)

Postscript

Manali Leh road trip is one of the beautiful one can think of. Travel to Ladakh can not be complete if you do not experience this journey. You cross five passes of different heights, you go through snow, streams and precariously narrow stretches at places. The landscape changes every few KMs. It is a photographer’s paradise indeed.

Important Update on Road condition

The road conditions on Manali Leh road have improved drastically. The Rohtang loops are lovely tarmac today and there is no mudslides anymore. Except for few kilometres between Rohtang Top and Koksar and again from Sarchu to Pang the road condition is good.

In fact, one need not have to stay in Sarchu and drive straight from Jispa to Leh which will help avoid AMS. You will also find dhabhas at many places on way like Zing Zing bar, After Nakkee la, Pang, Moreh Plains. One can also stay in these dhabhas in emergencies.

Planning a trip to Ladakh? We are here to help……

Planning a Leh Ladakh tour including Manali Leh road for the first time is a daunting task. With so much of information available in public domain, you will go crazy with options available and places to see. Going for a regular package tour is no fun as you will visit only those places which everyone visit but miss out many lovely places.

You can read all about our Ladakh travel – 18 posts including a drive to Siachen base camp – by clicking the following post below.

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About the author

Poorna & Brinda

We are Brinda and Poorna from Bengaluru, the “Silicon city” or “Garden city” of India.

We travel together. We caught the travel bug 20 years back. On our honey moon, we traveled over the sea, in the train, by bus and in an aircraft! Our adventures probably started in that year. It continues, ever since.

You have shared good images and valuable information about the Manali to Ladakh tour. Manali is the best place to start the tour to Ladakh. Manali provides many tailor made tour packages to Ladakh. Manali Tourism

Manali is the most famous and adventurous tourist spot among hooneymooners & adventure lovers. Manali is Located in the northern part of india at a altitute of 1950 m. Tourist from with in India or Rest of the World came here & spend their honey moon trips or holiday trips in Manali.India Tour

India is an extraordinary area with delightful expected view. India is a nation of various custom and enhancing society. Tourists opposite the globe are lured to the rich society and hypnotizing scene of Trip to India

Manali is one of the toursit places in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Naturally very popular Manali Tour Package Kullu Valley is in addition reputed to be the “Valley of Divine bings”. Separated structure beautiful delightfulness, rich green scenes, exuberant valleys, and so forth you will moreover have brilliant opening to see here a few temples.

Kashmir provides ultimate touring options to the vacationers who need to rejuvenate their body and soul. The picturesque landscapes, mystical mountains, divine ambience and lush green are some of the attributes that define Kashmir. The kashmir tour packages are made to provide wonderful opportunity to the tourists who want o feel the divinity and serenity from within here in Kashmir.

This Journey looks very adventrous. All pictures of Leh Ladakh And Manali are awesome. I really like your post and I am really inspired by your photos and the captions. Keep up the great work.Hey I am A tour operator so please visit on my site and get good tour packages of india http://www.indianlegendsholidays.com/ .

Thank a lot for sharing this with us.Damdama Lake is also one of the best places if you are looking for a place to spend your weekends, day picnic near delhi, adventure tour near delhi along with the packages.

Hello Poorna, thank you for your wonderful picture collection. Unforunally I had not so much time and could just visit Leh and the Lake Pangong, but still I want to go back! 🙂 This himalaya mountains and the monestaries were so beautiful. Ladakh is like a magical and silent place in India. Regards, Sarah

I read your awesome blog.If anyone wants to Honeymoon package to Sikkim and adventure honeymoon package to Sikkim in very lowest price.Sikkim is an awesome place for cofee,hills and natural beauty lovers.

Thanks for info, Extreme adventure tours can be indulged in Kashmir’s picturesque barren landscapes. Leh Ladakh is popularly known as the Roof of the World. The serene ambiance allures visitors from all parts of the globe to book Leh Ladakh Packages.

We( a group of 5 friends), are planning a road trip by self driven vehicle from Kanyakumari to Leh & back. So we will be travelling by the same route either while going to leh or while coming back frm Leh, as we plan to make it a round trip. We have finalised a window frm nid July to mid august this year.

Your inputs & tips would be invaluable for us with respect to this section. Especially comments on the weather & road conditions at that time of the year, what kind of vehicle wud be ideal, or any other tips which you wud like to tell us. We plan to drive the Mahindra Scorpio.

Hi,Manali could be a hill station close within the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh close to the northern finish of the Kullu depression, at AN altitude of two,050 m within the Beas watercourse depression. it’s settled within the Kullu district, concerning 270 klick north of the city, Shimla. the little city, with a population of eight,096, is that the starting of AN ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakorum Range pass away to Yarkand and Khotan within the Tarim Basin. it’s become a tourer attraction in recent years.Thanks,,Honeymoon packages for mauritius